“My trusted friend, Ronnie Agius” – George Farrugia. Agius has been investigated internationally for cigarette smuggling, was reported to have IRA connections, spent time in prison outside Malta and faced an extradition request by Italy.
From Times of Malta’s report about the Public Accounts Committee hearing this evening:
Mr Farrugia said after a long pause that he tried to phone his lawyer Siegfried Borg Cole but could not get through. He then phoned Ronnie Agius and asked him to tell Dr Borg Cole.
(…)
Asked if had e-mailed anyone about this issue, Mr Farrugia said he did not recall doing so. Nor did he recall speaking to anyone else, except Ronnie Agius, a trusted friend.
I have the strangest suspicion that this thing is a lot bigger than it seems, what with the unexpected introduction of Ronnie Agius into the mix.
I imagine that not even journalists will know who this Ronnie Agius is, let alone readers – the exception being, ironically, the man who today had lunch with George Farrugia’s defence counsel, Franco Debono (the Law Commissioner, if you please).
Saviour Balzan’s newspaper had made an attempt at investigating his activities some years ago – see the links below.
Ronnie Agius spent the last few years under Gaddafi living in Tripoli where he ran what he described as an ‘import/export’ business. When the snus scandal broke, Agius was out on the internet comments-boards, sticking up for him and saying that he “knows the man”. I have no doubt he does.
A man investigated internationally for smuggling cigarettes and questioned by the Northern Irish/Maltese police over possible involvement, 13 years ago, in cigarette smuggling into Northern Ireland with ‘tax’ on each cigarette paid to the IRA, sticking up for John Dalli about….the EU Tobacco Directive.
You couldn’t write this as a script if you tried.
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http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2001/0112/top1.html
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2002/11/10/l4.html
January 2001
At the beginning of last year Spiteri had defended Ronnie Agius in a cigarette smuggling case, when the Maltese courts were reacting to court requests made by the Northern Ireland and Rotterdam courts.
The investigations are focused on the money laundering of millions of pounds from business coming from drug trafficking and smuggled cigarettes. Worse still, it is reported that the same Maltese, including Agius, were involved in the delivery of arms to the terrorist organisation, the IRA.
In Northern Ireland IRA bosses charge 30p on every packet of cigarettes illegally smuggled into the North. The tax levy is then siphoned off into Malta accounts. Individual operators make up to Sterling 10 clear profit on a carton of 200, even after paying their tax duty to the IRA
(…)
Ronnie Agius had been investigated for three years by police in Ireland, Belgium and Spain. He had been arrested in Belgium in August 1999 and released on a hefty pledge. His name appears continuously in investigations and documents sent from justice authorities to nearly every country in Europe. His name appears with those of Martin Daley, Paddy Hollywood and Kieran Smyth, all of whom are from Northern Ireland and linked closely to the IRA.
Incidentally during the summer of 2000, Agius had also been observed greeting Mafia boss Gerardo Cuomo, the ‘king’ of cigarette smuggling in Europe, when these met outside Hotel La Paix in Lugano, Italy.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2002/11/03/l4.html
Looks like he was a very close friend of the previous Libyan and Maltese regimes – have a look at his sycophantic on line letter to Seif al-Islam Al Qathafi during the Libyan uprising here: http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=6363
How can anyone trust Ronnie Agius?
If you just speak to the man for a few minutes and you ignore his sweet talk, you realise there is someting wrong with him.
Ronnie aka ‘Renald’ Agius was already notorious in the Golden Years. While lots of people were driving Ladas and Skodas, he sported a convertible BMW and a Maserati.
He appeared to be involved in all sorts of deals with that other sleazebag Victor ‘Karettuni’ Spiteri and then Mid-Med Bank chairman Joe ‘10%’ Buttigieg (now resurrected as Heritage Malta chief, if you please).
Karettuni has also been exalted to some position or other.
One can here very aptly say “With friends (and trusted ones, at that) like these, who needs enemies”
Makes me wonder whether, after all, Ronnie Agius double crossed George Farrugia and ratted against him with Saviour Balzan?
I may be wrong, but it could be a possibility.
Victor Spiteri a/k/a Victor Karettuni’ had huge power at the Freeport and the Cargo Handling with the containers operations.